Nov 02, 2020 Public Safety Commission

[00:00:02]

I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE MEETING

[CALL TO ORDER]

UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK COMMISSIONER LANE, UH, FOR MAKING ME AWARE OF THE UPCOMING TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, WHICH COMES UP ON NOVEMBER 20TH.

UM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO QUOTE FROM THE FOUNDER OF TD O R GWENDOLYN AND SMITH, A TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, SIX TO HIGHLIGHT THE LOSSES WE FACE DUE TO ANTI TRANSGENDER BIGOTRY AND VIOLENCE.

I AM NO STRANGER TO THE NEED FOR THE FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS.

AND THE RIGHT TO SIMPLY EXIST IS FIRST AND FOREMOST, WITH SO MANY SEEKING TO ERASE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE SOMETIMES IN THE MOST BRUTAL WAYS POSSIBLE IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE WE LOSE ARE REMEMBERED AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE.

I WANTED TO QUOTE THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN AS WELL.

UH, 2020 HAS SEEN AT LEAST 33 TRANSGENDER OR GENDER NON-CONFORMING PEOPLE FATALLY SHOT OR KILLED BY OTHER VIOLENT MEANS THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE BLACK AND LATIN X TRANSGENDER WOMEN.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO REMIND US THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES NOT CURRENTLY PROTECT TRANSGENDER TEXANS UNDER THE CURRENT HATE CRIMES PROTECTION.

SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LANE, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM ON THAT SOON ABOUT TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ABOUT, UH, ANTI-TRANS GENDER VIOLENCE.

UM, SECONDLY, I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY.

IF YOU HAVEN'T VOTED YET, PLEASE MAKE A PLAN TO GET TO THE POLLS BEFORE SEVEN O'CLOCK TO HAVE YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

SO THANK YOU ALL.

ALL RIGHT, LET US KICK OFF THE AGENDA TO LET'S SEE, MS. JACKSON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, THERE ARE NO CITIZENS SUNG UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY.

WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE APPROVAL

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

I WILL GIVE YOU GUYS A MINUTE TO REVIEW HMM.

AND THE EDITS CORRECTIONS.

YES.

SURE.

OH MY SHOW EVER.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I LOVE THAT OUR QUESTIONS ARE BEING ANSWERED IN A MINUTE, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

UM, MS. JACKSON OR CARRIE, YOU HAVE STARTED DOING THAT.

THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU.

AND I'LL MOVE TO ADOPT IF YOU NEED A MOTION.

I DON'T THINK I DO.

UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE FORUM WITH DANIELLE AND NOT ON VIDEO.

UM, SO NO EDITS OR CORRECTIONS.

I WILL DEEM THE MINUTES TO BE APPROVED.

OKAY.

WE GOOD.

UM, NEXT ITEM

[2.a. Proposed Decommissioning and Reusing Land at Austin Police Department Headquarters (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Webber) 3:25pm-3:55pm Speakers: - Connor Kenny, Past Chair Planning Commission - Pete Valdez, Director of Downtown Austin Community Court]

UM, AND I BELIEVE, UH, PETE VALDEZ, DIRECTOR OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMISSION IS ALSO HERE.

SO, UM, MR. KENNEY, I WILL LET YOU TAKE IT AWAY.

GREAT.

UM, I WANT TO LARGELY GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET MR. VALDEZ SPEAK TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER'S COURT COMMUNITY.

UM, AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT MADE A LARGE ECHO? NO.

OKAY.

UH, MAYBE IF EVERYBODY DOES THAT, OKAY, IT'S GONE NOW.

GREAT.

UM,

[00:05:01]

UH, I DID NOT THINK THAT THAT WAS GOING TO WORK WITH MINE, SO I'M GOING TO REMAIN FACELESS HERE, BUT, UM, ANY CASE, UH, IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR IN SOME OF THE OUTREACH THAT I'VE DONE AS WELL, UM, IT IS CLEAR AND AS WELL AS FROM THE INPUT THAT WE'VE HAD FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, IT'S CLEAR THAT HOMELESSNESS IS A HUGE PART OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PUZZLE FOR DOWNTOWN, AS WELL AS THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

AND, UH, IT IS CLEAR THAT WHATEVER TO ME, WHAT IS EMERGING AS QUEER IS, IS THAT, UM, THE PLANS FOR THIS SITE THEN HAVE TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE PLANS THAT THE CITY HAS OR, UM, UH, HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

UH, WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, SOME OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN PUZZLE THAT, UH, THE MAYOR ADLER SPEAKS ABOUT IS, IS, UH, SOMEWHAT OF AN OPEN QUESTION RIGHT NOW.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE NECESSARILY ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE EXACT RIGHT TIME TO BE ASKING THEM AND EXPLORING THEM, UH, SO THAT AS, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, CONVENTION CENTER POSSIBLE, UH, A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT COMES ONLINE WITH POSSIBLE FUNDING THERE, AS WE FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ARCH, UH, THESE, UH, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'M REALLY SO THANKFUL THAT, UH, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DECIDED TO INITIATE THIS CONVERSATION AND HAVE IT.

UM, SO, UH, I WANTED TO HEAR, UM, FROM, AND, AND I THINK, UH, AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER WANTED TO HEAR FROM A DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT HERE ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEIR SPACE NEEDS.

UH, IT'S ALSO BECOME CLEAR TO ME THAT EVEN WITHOUT CHANGING THE PARADIGMS OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, EVEN JUST THINKING IN TERMS OF WHAT WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? THAT'S BEFORE WE START EVEN THINKING ABOUT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL BRIDGES, UH, REALLY THINKING CREATIVE AND LONGTERM AND HOLISTIC, JUST THINKING REALLY IN, IN KIND OF STRICTLY PUBLIC SAFETY TERMS, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPACE, AND THAT IS A, UH, POTENTIALLY MULTI-SITE PUZZLE THAT THE REAL ESTATE OFFICE HAS TO HELP US, UH, SOLVE AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TO OFFER DIRECTION ON FALLING.

AND I WAS REALLY STRUCK IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. VALDEZ ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THEIR SPACE NEEDS AND WHAT THEY NEED JUST TO DO THE JOB THAT THEY'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO DO WELL.

UM, AS WELL AS, UH, STARTING TO THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPANSIVELY.

SO, UM, WITH THAT, UH, MR. VALDEZ, IF YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TALK TO US, UH, ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN, UH, COMMUNITY COURT AND, UM, UH, WHEN I MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IS PETER BOTH THERE CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.

MY NAME IS PETER VALDEZ AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.

UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU ABOUT OUR PROGRAM AND, UM, WHAT WE ARE DOING CURRENTLY AROUND THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS.

UM, SO ALTHOUGH WE ARE A COURT OF LAW, UM, WE HAVE A JUDGE THAT'S THAT PRESIDES OVER OUR COURT.

HIS NAME IS MICHAEL COFFEE, UM, AND WE HAVE CLERKS AND A PROSECUTOR.

UM, ALL, ALL OF THE THINGS NECESSARY FOR A COURT OF LAW.

OUR PRIMARY FUNCTION IS REALLY AS A SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDER.

UM, WE HAVE A CASE MANAGEMENT UNIT MADE UP OF, UH, 21 INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE CASE LOADS, UM, THAT SERVE INDIVIDUALS OF ALL OF THEM HOMELESS, ALL OF THEM EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, AND, UH, OFTENTIMES ALSO EXPERIENCING TRY OCCURRING DISORDERS SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

UM, BUT WE, I ALSO ENCOUNTER A GREAT NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WITH TRAUMATIC TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AND, UM, INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ON TOP OF AGAIN, BEING, UM, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

LASTLY, MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ENCOUNTER, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE OFTENTIMES, UH, A PROGRAM OF LAST RESORT.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS OFTENTIMES THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE WORKED WITH OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL OR HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM THEIR PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF THEIR BEHAVIOR OR VIOLATION OF POLICY.

UM, SO WE'RE OFTENTIMES THE, THE PROVIDER OF GLASSES RESORT.

UM, AND SO THESE INDIVIDUALS ALSO HAVE, UH, CRIMINAL HISTORIES, UM, THAT GO BEYOND THE CLASS

[00:10:01]

AND I SHOULD HAVE SAID, UM, THAT INITIALLY WE ARE, UM, OUR JURISDICTION IS, IS, UM, DOWNTOWN DOWN A SMALL PART OF EAST AUSTIN AND, UH, UTS WEST CAMPUS.

UM, AND WE ADJUDICATE CLASS C MISDEMEANORS, UM, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL OFFENSES.

SO, UM, HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT FROM THE MUNICIPAL COURT IS THAT THE MUNICIPAL COURT, UM, ALSO PROCESSES THOSE, THOSE CHARGES.

BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS AROUND, UH, TRAFFIC OFFENSES.

UM, SO THAT BEING SAID WHEN THE COURT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1999, UM, THERE WERE 15 EMPLOYEES THAT, UM, THAT, THAT MANAGED THE COURT OPERATIONS.

AT THAT TIME.

WE ONLY HAD TWO CASES.

THESE MANAGERS, I WAS ONE OF THOSE TWO CASE MANAGERS AND, UM, UM, AND OUR PROGRAM FOR CASE MANAGEMENT WASN'T INTENSIVE THE WAY IT IS TODAY.

UM, I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT WE HAVE NOW 21 INDIVIDUALS THAT MAKE UP OUR CASE MANAGEMENT UNIT.

UH, THESE ARE ALL CLINICALLY TRAINED, UH, MASTER'S LEVEL, SOCIAL WORKERS AND COUNSELORS WHO, UM, WHO WORK INTENSIVELY WITH THE POPULATION THAT I DESCRIBED BEFORE.

UM, AND WHAT I MEAN BY INTENSIVELY IS, UM, WE, WE TAKE THEM FROM BEING HOMELESS ALL THE WAY TO GETTING THEM INTO HOUSING, UM, AND PROVIDE EVERYTHING, UH, WITHIN THE SERVICE CONTINUUM NECESSARY TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL.

UH, LUCKILY WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL.

SO WE ARE ABLE TO FUND A LOT OF THOSE SOCIAL SERVICE SUPPORTS NECESSARY TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND, UM, AS OF, UH, LAST FISCAL YEAR, UM, WE'LL YEAH, THEY'RE NOW FUNDING, I BELIEVE 59 PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS OURSELVES.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET THESE INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY INTO HOUSING AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO NAVIGATE THE VERY DIFFICULT, UH, SOCIAL SERVICE SYSTEM.

AND, UM, THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS, UM, IN 20, IN 2016, UH, WE BECAME PART OF THE HOMELESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM.

WE HAVE ONE FULL-TIME CASE MANAGER ASSIGNED TO THAT TEAM AND WHAT THAT TEAM DOES, UM, IS THAT THEY CONDUCT OUTREACH, UH, THROUGHOUT MOST IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT THEY ARE ALSO CALLED OUT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.

UM, AND THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A COMMUNITY COURT, UH, CASE MANAGER ON THAT TEAM IS THAT THEY REFER THE PATIENT, THE VISUALS THEY'RE ENGAGING DIRECTLY TO US IN HOUSE TO BEGIN WORKING WITH THEM ON THE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, UM, SERVICES THAT THAT PERSON IS NEEDING.

UM, SINCE WE BECAME PART OF THE HOST TEAM, OUR APPROACH IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZING INDIVIDUALS FOR OUR CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY PRIOR TO OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH HOSTS, THE WAY THAT SOMEBODY, UH, WA WAS ELIGIBLE FOR CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES WAS IF THEY CAME THROUGH OUR, UH, COURT.

UM, SO IF THEY GOT A, UH, CITATION OR IF THEY GOT ARRESTED, UM, AND THEY WERE ADJUDICATED, THE JUDGE WOULD ASSIGN THEM TO A CASE MANAGER SINCE OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH HOSTS.

AGAIN, UM, WE NOW HAVE TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH IN ENGAGING HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, SO AT THIS POINT WE ARE TAKING ANY, UM, HIGH-RISK VULNERABLE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES, HOMELESSNESS, UM, INTO CASE MANAGEMENT, IF A HOST IDENTIFIES THEM AS SUCH.

SO, UM, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T REQUIRED.

IT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THEM TO HAVE A K EIGHT LEGAL CASE OR A CRIMINAL CASE WHERE THERE ARE COURTS FOR THEM TO NOW GET SERVICES WITH OUR CASE MANAGEMENT.

BECAUSE OF THAT, FORTUNATELY, WE ARE CURRENTLY MAINTAINING A WAITLIST FOR CASE MANAGEMENT OF OVER 200 PEOPLE.

SO, UM, THE, THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT CASE MANAGEMENT IS SIX OF THE 21 INDIVIDUALS THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT MAKE UP THE CASE MANAGEMENT UNIT ARE, ARE ALSO, UH, ARE NEW TO OUR CASE MANAGEMENT UNION.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE PROTECTIVE

[00:15:01]

SO, UM, WHEN WE HIRE THESE PEOPLE, WE'VE ALREADY HIRED THREE OF THE SIX.

UM, THEY WILL BE ASSIGNED TO EACH OF THE PROTECTIVE LODGES TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE PEOP WITH THE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT ARE IN THOSE ROOMS AT THESE HOTELS AND MOTELS, UM, TO START WORKING ON A HOUSING PLAN, UH, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

SO THE APPROACH IS GOING TO BE EXACTLY WHAT WE DO IN INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCES THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASSIGNED TO THOSE SITES TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COVID 19 EVENT, WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING WALK-IN SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS, FOOD, HYGIENE, PRODUCTS, UH, MASKS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO WEAR, UM, ACCESS TO OUR RESTROOMS, WATER, UM, ANYTHING THAT HELPS THEM STAY, UH, HEALTHY AND, UM, GIVES THEM ACCESS TO THOSE IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT THEY REQUIRE.

UM, IN TERMS, BECAUSE OF OUR FACILITY, WE ARE CURRENTLY HOUSED AT SEVEN 19 EAST SIXTH STREET.

UH, IT'S A 4,900 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY.

UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, WHEN WE MOVED INTO THAT FACILITY, WE WERE 15 INDIVIDUALS THAT MADE UP THE PROGRAM TODAY.

WE ARE NOW 38 INDIVIDUALS.

UM, OUR CASE MANAGEMENT UNIT HAS BEEN THE UNIT THAT IS EXPANDED THE MOST, THEREFORE, UM, THE SPACE THAT WE NEED IS MOSTLY FOR THAT UNIT.

AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY CURRENTLY, UM, THEY HAVE TO SHARE OFFICES, WHICH IS NOT A GOOD APPROACH FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH A LOT OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE INFORMATION THAT THESE, THESE CLIENTS SHARE WITH THEM, UM, HAS TO BE PROTECTED.

AND BECAUSE WE SH THEY HAVE TO SHARE OFFICES THAT MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, THE REAL ESTATE OFFICES IS CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A FACILITY FOR US, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON, UM, ELISE THAT WOULD PROVIDE US WITH 30,000 SQUARE FEET.

AND, UM, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, THAT A FACILITY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UM, I BELIEVE ALEX GALE, UM, IS AVAILABLE ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, CALL ON THIS MEETING.

IF YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HIM, HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR REAL ESTATE SERVICES.

UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT COVERS MOSTLY EVERYTHING.

I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

CAN WE, UH, CAN WE HEAR FROM MR. GALE? HELLO? CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES.

GREAT.

UH, ALEX GALE, INTERIM OFFICER FOR THE OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES.

UH, THANK YOU, PETE.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UH, THE, THE INTRODUCTION, UH, SO WE ARE PLANNING ON BRINGING THE, UH, LEASE ITEM TO COUNCIL ON THE NOVEMBER 12TH AGENDA.

UH, SO IT IS, IT IS POSTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE AS PART OF THE AGENDA IT'S ITEM 20 RIGHT NOW.

UM, BUT IT IS A LEASE FOR THAT 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE SERVICES, UM, THAT, UH, AND THE REQUIREMENTS REALLY THAT, THAT DECK HAS SAID THEY NEED OVER THESE YEARS.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THAT THE SPACE THAT DECK IS CURRENTLY IN IS NOT A GREAT SPACE.

I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN DEALING WITH PEST ISSUES AND WE'RE CURRENTLY ON A MONTH TO MONTH LEASE WITH THAT LAND LORD.

UM, AND HE HAS NOT REALLY BEEN AGREEABLE TO ALLOWING US MAKING ANY REPAIRS TO THAT FACILITY.

AND SO, UM, COUNCIL DID HAVE US AS PART OF RESOLUTION, I THINK IN 2018, GO OUT AND FIND A REPLACEMENT SITE FOR DOWNTOWN ESSENCE COMMUNITY COURT, AS WELL AS A REPLACEMENT SITE FOR MUNICIPAL COURT.

SO WE WE'VE RECENTLY FINISHED THE MUNICIPAL COURT SPACE DOWN, UH, OFF OF BURLESON ROAD DOWN IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.

AND THEN AS PART OF THIS, THAT SAME RESOLUTION, UH, THIS IS A LEASE FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, BECAUSE PART OF THE, UM, TERMS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE LANDLORD, UH, IT

[00:20:01]

UM, WE DO HAVE AN OPTION TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AT THE END OF THAT 10 YEAR LEASE.

ALTHOUGH THOSE LEASE PAYMENTS DO NOT GO TOWARDS THAT POTENTIAL PURCHASE AT THE END OF THAT 10 YEARS, MR. GAIL, I'M GOING TO CUT YOU OFF JUST A LITTLE BIT, JUST CAUSE WE HAVE WE'RE VERY TIGHT ON TIME AND GET NO, NO, YOU'RE DOING GREAT.

UM, CAN I ASK, UH, THE, UM, THE 10-YEAR LEASE THERE, UH, AND THE 30,000 SQUARE FEET? UM, THIS IS, UH, IN PROXIMITY, THIS IS STILL IN DOWNTOWN.

IT'S STILL WITHIN DECKS, UH, JURISDICTION.

IT'S ACTUALLY ON EAST SECOND STREET, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT ON THE EAST SIDE, UH, WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION.

RIGHT.

OKAY.

SO THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH TO WORK WITH OTHER FOLKS.

UH, IF I CAN GO BACK TO MR. VALDEZ FOR A MINUTE AND, AND, UH, ASK YOU, UM, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UH, YOUR ABILITY TO, UH, TO CO-LOCATE OR WORK IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, OTHER SERVICES OR AGENCIES.

AND JUST BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMISSIONERS HERE, UH, WANT TO JUST ASK, UM, IS THAT SPACE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT SECURING ADEQUATE FOR, UH, THE CO-LOCATION OF, OF SERVICES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT OR ARE THE FOLKS THAT YOU WORK WITH, UH, STILL GOING TO BE, UH, SOMEWHERE ELSE? SO THE, UM, THE PLAN IN THAT 30,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT ALEX JUST MENTIONED IS TO ALSO BRING IN OTHER AGENCIES THAT WOULD BE CO LOCATED, UM, WITH US.

UM, IT ALSO GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME DAYTIME PROGRAMMING, WHICH, WHICH IS A LACK OF W WHICH LACKS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES TO THE, UH, ARCH, THE AUSTIN RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS.

SO LET ME JUST JUMP IN JUST A SECOND, JUST CAUSE WE'RE REAL TIGHT ON TIME.

UM, WE HAD TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, KIND OF MAYBE THREE DIFFERENT STAGES OF, OF, UH, OF, UH, NEED INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU FOR GOING INTERACTED WITH MIGHT NEED, UH, FIRST IS WHEN THEY'RE, UH, SECOND IS WHEN THEY MOVE INTO A STABILIZATION PHASE, WHICH IS WHERE YOU WERE PRIMARILY OPERATING IN THAT SPACE.

AND THEN FINALLY IT'S ONCE THEY ARE STABILIZED, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S HOUSING THAT MAY NEED LIKE LESS SUPPORT SERVICES.

UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF THE STABILIZATION MAY NEED TO BE TAKEN, MAYBE ABLE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF WITH SOME OF THE SPACE, WHICH IS GREAT TO HEAR.

UM, AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE SOME OF THE REMAINING NEED IS IN THE CRISIS, UH, AND THEN MAYBE STABILIZATION PERIODS.

DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU, OR DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE STILL UNMET NEEDS IN THAT STABILIZATION, UH, STAGE OF, OF HELP FOR INDIVIDUALS I'LL FIRST SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE, UH, NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN, WHICH, UM, WHICH WE REALLY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY THERE ARE, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, THAT GIVES YOU ONE NUMBER.

UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER, UH, DATA AROUND THE, THE, THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INDIGENT AND AUSTIN AND POSSIBLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THOSE NUMBERS ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT THE POINT IN TIME COUNT LOOKS LIKE.

UM, SO YOUR DESCRIPTION IS, IS ACCURATE IN THAT OUR BUSINESS IS MOSTLY IN THE STABILIZATION PHASE OF, UH, HELPING INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

UM, WE AREN'T, UM, EQUIPPED BECAUSE OF, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH NEED OR THE NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION, WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CRISIS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, UM, TO, TO REALLY HELP SOMEBODY WHEN THEY COME IN IN CRISIS.

UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EQUIPPED TO HELP SOMEBODY WHEN THEY ARE ABLE AND COHERENCE TO BEGIN WORKING WITH US ON THEIR LONG-TERM STABILITY.

UM, THAT BEING SAID BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN AND IN NEED OF SERVICES, EVEN WITH THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, THAT ISN'T ENOUGH AND THE COMMUNITY.

UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ENHANCEMENT AND ALL THREE OF THOSE STAGES.

YEAH, SORRY.

SO I HAVE SOME, SOME MORE STUFF THAN I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE OUR COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO TRULY GET IN FOR DISCUSSION.

SO, UH, CAN WE OPEN IT UP AND SEE IF ANYTHING HAS PIQUED YOUR INTEREST SO FAR? YES.

MR. BROTHERS, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.

I'M WONDERING HOW MANY CASE MANAGERS WOULD YOU NEED TO GET EVERYONE ON YOUR WAITING LIST? ALL THE 200, I THINK OFF THE WAITING LIST.

AND THEN MY SECOND FOLLOW-UP QUESTION

[00:25:01]

SO, UM, IF, IF WE DIVIDED THE 200 NUMBER BY THE CASELOAD, UH, MAXIMUM THAT WE ASSIGN, UM, THAT'S 15 PEOPLE PER CASE MANAGER BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING SUCH INTENSIVE WORK.

UM, SO I, I, I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT, UM, WHAT IS IT, EIGHT, EIGHT ADDITIONAL CASE MANAGERS NINE ADDITIONAL.

UM, AND, AND, AND THEN REGARDING SPACE, UH, I THINK ALEX COULD PROBABLY TELL YOU FROM THE PLANS AT THE, AT THE, UH, WITH THE FACILITY THAT'S 30,000 SQUARE FEET.

I THINK WE LOOKED AT, UH, EIGHT BY 10 SIZE OFFICES, ALEX.

D DO YOU RECALL, I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO ASK ME THAT DATE.

IT'S EITHER IT'S EITHER SIX BY EIGHT OR EIGHT.

I DON'T REMEMBER.

YEAH.

UM, SO, SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE 30,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, THE WAY WE'VE LOOKED AT THE DESIGN IS APPROACHING IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MULTI-USE.

SO EVERY, UM, EVERY SINGLE SPOT IN THAT FACILITY, INCLUDING ALL THE CONFERENCE ROOMS AND EVEN THE COURTROOM WOULD BE MULTI-USE.

SO WHENEVER THE COURTROOM IS NOT IN SESSION, WE CAN USE THAT, UH, FOR DAYTIME PROGRAMMING OR FOR CASE MANAGERS TO WORK WITH THEIR CLIENTELE.

UM, SO IT'D BE A REALLY, UM, MOBILE SPACE WHERE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO USE EVERY SQUARE INCH OR FOOT, UH, FOR MULTIPLE THINGS.

AND NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COURTROOM, IT WOULDN'T JUST BE A COURTROOM.

SO MR. VALDEZ, CAN I ASK, CAN WE TAKE A DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT OFF THE LIST OF FOLKS WHO ARE NEEDING MORE SPACES LONG-TERM, UH, OR ARE YOUR NEEDS TAKEN CARE OF WITH THIS LEASE? UM, WELL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON WHETHER CITY COUNCIL, UM, APPROVES THE ITEM IN NOVEMBER.

UM, LET'S, LET'S ASSUME THEY DO.

I AL I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY YES.

UM, AGAIN, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO COLLABORATE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SERVICES.

WOULD YOU END UP USING THAT FACILITY AS A MULTI-FUNCTION FACILITY? UM, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, ASSIGN SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO OFFICE OUT OF THERE SO THAT THEY CAN ALSO PROVIDE SERVICES FROM THERE.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, THAT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO HAVE A KIND OF AN EXTENSION INTO WHERE SOME OF THE FOLKS IN CRISIS KIND OF INTAKE WAS HAPPENING, THAT WOULD HELP YOU PIPELINE FOLKS INTO YOUR MORE STABILIZATION SERVICES AT THAT POINT.

SO IF WE HAD A LOCATION SAY THE DOWNTOWN APD, UH, HEADQUARTERS, WHERE, UM, WE HAVE STREET TEAMS, IMMUNITY, HEALTH PARAMEDICS, OR POLICE OFFICERS BRING IN FOLKS IN CRISIS, OUT OFF THE STREET, UM, HAVING A DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT KIND OF COMPONENT IN THERE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT BRIDGE AND THE STABILIZATION SERVICES WOULD BE A GOOD THING.

ABSOLUTELY.

THE EASIER YOU CAN MAKE IT FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE BETTER I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, SO WE, WE DID TALK WITH SELENA.

SHE, UH, THE FIRST TIME WE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HAVING A STAGING AREA, PUBLIC SEAT, A FLEXIBLE SPACE, UM, I IMAGINE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE HOST TEAM WOULD ALSO USE JUST BASED ON THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING.

SO, BECAUSE YOU ALSO INTERACT WITH HOSTS, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT CAN INCREASE THAT SUPPORT.

IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD AGREE WITH? SO HAVING HOST HAVING A STAGING AREA, HAVING, YOU KNOW, FIRE EMS, APD ABLE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF STAGING AREA WHERE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN APD BUILDING OR AN EMS BUILDING, BUT A MORE LIKE A SERVICES AREA.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS COULD TAKE OF THAT? OH YEAH.

UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE ARE, UM, ON THAT TEAM, THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF OUR PRESENCE ON THAT TEAM IS TO FACILITATE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO OUR CASE MANAGEMENT.

UM, SO THAT WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IF, IF HOST

[00:30:01]

GREAT.

UM, MR. RAMIREZ, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, IT WAS JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF TIMING AND ALL GIVEN THAT YOU GUYS CURRENTLY ON A MONTH TO MONTH AND LOOKING FOR A NEW SPACE, I'M ASSUMING TOO HOW'S AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, EVEN IF COUNCIL DOESN'T APPROVE LATER THIS MONTH, OR WHENEVER YOU'RE ON THE AGENDA, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOUR NEEDS WOULD BE SOONER THAN THAT.

WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE HAPPEN WITH A NEW APD HEADQUARTERS REINVISIONING PROCESS.

I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE WOULD BE A LINE TO A NEW SORT OF LEASE, UM, WAY AHEAD OF THAT.

IS THAT CORRECT? UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR ALEX.

OKAY.

SORRY.

I'M TRYING TO GET ON UNMUTE.

UM, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN? I APOLOGIZE.

YEAH, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT IF IT DOESN'T SAY FOR INSTANCE, THE NEW LEASE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PREPARED, DOESN'T GET APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.

DAX NEEDS ARE MORE IMMEDIATE THAN WHAT THE RE-IMAGINING OF APD HEADQUARTERS WOULD BE ABLE TO SERVE THAT YOU GUYS NEED SOMETHING MORE IMMEDIATELY THAN THAT.

THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT OUR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS, IS BECAUSE OF THE SENSE OF URGENCY THAT WE HAVE BEHIND FINDING SPACE FOR DAC.

UM, THE PREVIOUS RESOLUTION COUNSEL PROVIDED TO, YOU KNOW, DIRECTED STAFF TO DO IN 2018 TO FIND THIS SPACE.

UM, WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF GONE DOWN THE PATH OF, CAN WE BUILD SOMETHING? CAN WE BUY SOME THINGS, UH, AND NOW, YOU KNOW, CAN WE LEASE SOMETHING? AND I THINK, I THINK YES, THAT THE, THE SPACE NEEDS IT FOR SOME REASON, THIS LEASE HASN'T GO THROUGH AND COUNCIL DOESN'T APPROVE IT.

I THINK WE WOULD STILL NEED SOMETHING PRIOR TO THE, THE RE-IMAGINING.

UM, BUT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS KNOW WITH THE, WHAT, THE MONTH TO MONTH, UH, CURRENT SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.

I THINK WE STILL STILL NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING BEFORE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY REIMAGINATION IS DONE.

UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, WE COULD ROLL THAT BACK INTO THIS AND SEE WHERE WE END UP WITH IF, IF IT DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD ON THE 12TH.

GOOD.

THANK YOU.

UH, JUST TO EXTEND OUR TIMELINE OUT A LITTLE BIT AND THINK ABOUT, SAY FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN A NEW BUILDING IS COMPLETE, APD HAS, HAS LARGELY MOVED OFF AND TO, UH, OFFSITE SPACE.

UM, THAT'D BE HALFWAY INTO YOUR 10 YEAR LEASE, BUT, UH, MR. VALDEZ, MR. GALA, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOUR, UH, PLANS FOR THIS FACILITY ARE, UH, HIGHLY CUSTOMIZED IN TERMS OF, UH, FINISH OUT.

AND, UM, THAT IT COULD BE THAT, UH, IF, UH, IF AN APD HEADQUARTERS SITE BUILDING WAS COMING ON IN ABOUT FIVE YEARS AND WE REALLY WANTED TO INTEGRATE AND HAVE A HOLISTIC, YOU KNOW, UH, SPECTRUM INTEGRATION FROM INTAKE AND CRISIS THROUGH, YOU KNOW, STABILIZATION AND CASE WORK.

UM, AND IT COULD, IT COULD BE DECIDED THAT WE REALLY WANT, UH, DEC TO BE MORE CLOSELY INTEGRATED WITH THAT.

AND WE WANT TO ACTUALLY MOVE THEM INTO THIS SPACE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FINISH OUT SPECIFICITY, THESE ARE MULTI-PURPOSE SPACES.

UM, THAT IT SOUNDS TO ME AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE THAT BIG, A DEAL FIVE YEARS FROM NOW TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF A MUSICAL CHAIRS HERE, MOVE JACK INTO THIS APD SITE, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES, WHERE IT'S MAYBE FINISHED OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC TO THEIR NEEDS AND, AND THEIR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO OTHER, OTHER, UH, COLLOCATED SERVICES.

AND WE CAN USE THE SECOND STREET, UH, LEASE IN THE REMAINING YEARS ON THAT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

IS THAT RIGHT? I MEAN, I, IT'S A POSSIBILITY, RIGHT? I, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE BUILD OUT THAT IS REQUIRED TO BUILD THE FACILITY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S A ONE STORY BUILDING IT'LL BE CONVERTED REALLY INTO A THREE-STORY BUILDING FOR DEX NEEDS.

UM, THE SPACE WILL BE BUILT TO BE FLEXIBLE, TO BE USED FOR, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE THINGS, IF IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, USING OUR, OUR KIND OF SPACE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE IT IS BEING BUILT IN KIND OF SPECIFICALLY TO DEX NEEDS.

THERE ARE SOME ROOMS THAT MEET THEIR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, BUT THAT BEING SAID, I THINK AS PART OF THIS RE RE-IMAGINING PROCESS, I THINK THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS CAN ALWAYS BE ROLLED BACK IN TO SEE IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF, UM, BETTER AREA FOR DECK.

SO IF THERE'S A COMPELLING CASE TO CO LOCATE THESE THINGS,

[00:35:02]

I THINK WITHIN THAT SPACE, WITHIN THE SPACE, THAT'S PUT THAT THERE'S THAT POSSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD PROBABLY REFER TO, TO PETE AS FAR AS THEIR SERVICES AND HOW THEY WOULD, RIGHT.

ANY OTHER PLACES, NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

ALL RIGHT, MR. KENNY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE COMMISSIONER WEBBER LATE-BREAKING QUESTION, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO BUILDING OUT OR, OR DECIDING HOW TO DO THE 30,000 FOOT SPACE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY THAT PERHAPS PEOPLE COULD GET 15 MORE CASE MANAGER, THEN THEY COULD BE HOUSED SOMEWHERE ELSE OR DOES THE ENTIRE OPERATION NEED TO BE IN THE SAME PLACE? I THINK I, UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS WHEREVER IT'S MOST CONVENIENT FOR THEM.

AND SO, UM, ASIDE FROM OFFICE SPACE, WE ALSO HAVE A FLEET OF VEHICLES THAT THE CITY HAS PROVIDED US SO THAT OUR CASE MANAGERS ARE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THEIR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO AN OFFICE THEN BECOMES MORE OF A DROPDOWN SPACE AND FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, THOSE SPACES COULD BE SHARED.

SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ADD, UM, COMMUNITY MODELS WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO THE CLIENTS RATHER THAN EXPECTING THEM TO COME TO US, UM, AS, AS, UH, AS, UH, A MORE, UH, CLIENT-CENTRIC APPROACH.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FREQUENTLY LOOKING AT WAYS TO, TO BETTER SERVE THE POPULATION.

UM, AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT.

SO, UM, AGAIN, AT SOME POINT, UM, WE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE EVERYBODY MOBILE.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES TO DO THAT.

UM, BUT IF WE WERE TO GET THIS 30,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY AND WE RAN OUT OF SPACE AGAIN, UM, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT AND MAKING CASE MANAGERS MOBILE IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE WAYS.

GREAT.

SO, UM, IF I CAN ASK JUST BEFORE WE END THE SEGMENT, UH, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN.

UM, DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE GOING DOWN THIS PATH FOR A WHILE AND GETTING MORE OF A LOGISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF THIS SITUATION? OR WOULD YOU GUYS BE INTERESTED IN MOVING ON AT THIS POINT TO LOOKING AT, UM, MORE OF THE CRISIS INTERVENTIONS, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY ANGLE, ESPECIALLY FROM DOWNTOWN, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHIFT MORE IN AND LOOK AT, UH, AT SOME OF THEM WERE KIND OF LONGER TERM, UH, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, YOU KNOW, UH, SOCIAL EVOLUTION, UH, UH, SOLUTIONS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS INTERESTED IN AND KIND OF TACKLING NEXT AND DELVING DEEPER INTO, BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN DELVE SUBSTANTIALLY, WE CAN HEAR FROM THE HOST TEAMS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, WE CAN TALK TO, YOU KNOW, THE ARCH IS GOING THROUGH A TRANSFORMATION FRONT STEPS THERE.

WE CAN HEAR MORE FROM THE REAL ESTATE OFFICE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE, WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND A POSSIBLE PIT.

I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THAT WE CAN GO AT THIS POINT AND I'D BE INTERESTED IN JUST HEARING KIND OF WHERE WE ALL WOULD LIKE TO GO NEXT.

I GUESS I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SPACES AND HOW OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE IF ANYONE EVER HAS.

UM, AND LIKE KIND OF MAYBE KEEP IT BROADER IN SOME WAY, AS OPPOSED TO GETTING INTO THE WEEDS OF, UM, ALTHOUGH I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM HOST ANYTIME YOU, UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH JUST MORE, UM, THE BROADER IDEAS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND, AND WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.

COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, GO AHEAD.

AND ON THAT SAME NOTE, UM, TO PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT COMMISSIONER WEBER WAS SAYING IS I THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS OF LIKE, UH, HOMELESSNESS IS A PROBLEM UNTIL WE STOP THE, THE ISSUES THAT ARE FEEDING AND CREATING CASES OF HOMELESSNESS.

SO, UM, LIKE IF WE COULD ADDRESS IT FROM THE OTHER END ON SORT OF A LARGER SCALE IN TERMS OF, UM, HEALTHCARE NEEDS THAT WE COULD ADDRESS,

[00:40:01]

AND I APPRECIATE, UM, BUT YOUR WEBER AND COMMISSIONER MEMBERS IS A KIND OF BIG PICTURE VIEW.

I WOULD LOVE TO ALSO UNDERSTAND, UM, THE, THE, THE SIZE OF HOUSING, THE SIZE OF AN INNOVATION INTERVENTION SPACE THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY MAKE AN IMPACT.

SO IF THERE IS SOMEONE THAT WORKS WITH HOMELESSNESS THAT HAS EXPERIENCE, OR SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, MAYOR OTHER PUT OUT THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HOLD A HOUSE, ALL THE HOMELESS PETS, RIGHT.

AND THEY PUT TOGETHER A PLAN AND THEY DID THAT, RIGHT.

OR, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT GOAL.

WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO UNDERSTAND FROM A PRACTICAL AND PRAGMATIC SIDE IS WHAT WOULD IT HAVE TO LOOK LIKE FOR US TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS? SO IF WE WERE GOING TO BE BRAVE AND BROAD AND SAY, WE WANT TO GET RID OF HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN, HOW MANY UNITS DO WE NEED? LIKE, IS THIS, COULD WE EVEN SPITBALL THAT? COULD WE HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO THOSE KINDS OF NUMBERS TO GIVE US AN IDEA, BECAUSE IF WE'RE THINKING IT'S A 10 STORY BUILDING, RIGHT? AND THEN SOMEONE COMES AND SAYS, OH, TO EVEN PUT A DENT IN OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, WE NEED TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR 30,000 PEOPLE, RIGHT.

I'M JUST THROWING OUT RANDOM NUMBERS.

I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME QUANTIFICATION AROUND THAT.

SO AS WE MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL, WE SAY IT NEEDS, WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC.

AND IF WE WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT, IT NEEDS TO BE X.

UM, ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF, OF THAT, THAT I WANT TO REMAIN COGNIZANT OF AS WE MOVE THROUGH IT.

UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, JUST THAT, UM, THERE IS VISIBLE HOMELESSNESS AND LESS VISIBLE HOMELESSNESS, RIGHT? AND THE VISIBLE HOMELESS ARE ACTUALLY A MINORITY OF THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT THAT'S ALSO THE SQUEAKY WHEEL RIGHT NOW.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE'S KIND OF LOSING THEIR MINDS ABOUT.

UM, THE, UH, THERE'S ALSO, UH, AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT A SPACE, UH, UM, SOMETHING THAT MR. BROWN IS, AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GET INTO IS THAT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE FOLKS IN CRISIS AND EVEN FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING STABILIZED FROM A SITUATION IN THEIR LIVES, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO MAYBE KEEP AROUND FOLKS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN STABILIZED AND ARE SEEKING TO EVEN MAKE THAT NEXT JUMP, UM, OUT OF THEIR SITUATION.

SO, UH, EVEN WITHIN HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS, UM, WE NEED TO KIND OF DISAGGREGATE THAT A LITTLE BIT AND LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE.

YEAH.

I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME SORT OF, I MEAN, I'M NOT EXPECTING CONCRETE.

WE NEED X, Y, OR Z, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE IDEAS AND, AND PLANS AROUND SOMETHING TO SOME SORT OF A WAY TO, UH, GO AFTER THIS PROBLEM AND ANYONE ELSE COULD HAVE HERS.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. KENNEY, MR. VALDEZ AND MR. GALE REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING INFORMATION.

VERY, VERY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.

THIS HAS BEEN REALLY INVALUABLE, AN OPPORTUNITY.

ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON TO OUR NEW BUSINESS, UM, QUARTERLY REPORT

[3.a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Fire Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 3:55pm-4:10pm Speaker: -Chief of Staff Rob Vires, Austin Fire Department]

ARE YOU ONLINE WITH US? I AM.

CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY.

SHIRLEY CAN.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, SO CHECK-INS ALL AS A COMMISSIONER.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR FOURTH QUARTER NUMBERS WITH YOU.

THERE WAS A POWERPOINT ABOUT THOSE POSSIBLE FOR THAT TO BE PULLED OUT, TO GUIDE US ALONG THROUGH THIS COMING RIGHT UP.

THERE WE GO, RIGHT SCENARIO.

SO THIS WAS HIS FOURTH QUARTER NUMBERS.

SO THAT'S, UH, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER OF 2020.

SO IF WE CAN GO TO PAGE TWO, WHAT YOU SEE HERE, UH, DIVIDED OUT BY THE DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE COMPARISONS OF 2019 AND 2020 QUARTER FOR REQUESTS FOR SERVICE.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOU SEE IN THE BOTTOM THERE REFERS TO ALL CALLS.

AND THAT MEANS WHETHER IT'S CODE WATER, CODE THREE, NOT

[00:45:01]

UH, CODE ONE IS THAT YOU DRIVE WITHOUT LIGHTS AND SIRENS.

YOU FOLLOW ALL THE TRAFFIC WALLS, ET CETERA, CODE THREE LIGHTS AND SIRENS, AND WHERE YOU CAN SAFELY GO THROUGH INTERSECTIONS.

YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL PRACTICAL WALLS, RIGHT? AND AT A GLANCE, AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, FOR ALL OF THOSE CALLS IN GENERAL, THERE'S A DROP, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE WOULD BE IN DISTRICT NINE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

UH, AND, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES LATER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS AND FOLKS ARE OUT AND ABOUT DOWNTOWN DOES KIND OF A MAGNET FOR THOSE SORT OF, UH, ACTIVITIES FOR FOLKS TO GO DOWN AND PARTICIPATE.

IF WE CAN GO TO SLIDE THREE, UH, THIS IS, IS ALL THE CODE THREE CALLS, THESE EMERGENCY ONES.

SO IT'S A SUBSET OF THE FIRST SLIDE THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU.

AND ONCE AGAIN, THE GREATEST ANOMALY HERE YOU'LL SEE IS A DISTRICT NINE WITH THE GREATEST REDUCTION IN CALLS, UH, TO THAT AREA.

YOU MOVE TO SLIDE FOUR, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT OVERALL IN QUARTER FOUR, WE HAD A DECREASE IN VOLUME BY ROUGHLY 4% IN COMPARISON TO THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2019.

AND THIS COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THINGS RELATED TO THE COVID PANDEMIC CANCELLATION OF LARGE-SCALE EVENTS, UH, WHICH WAS NOTED AGAIN WITH A COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE TELEWORKING, REDUCING TRAFFIC AND LIMITED CAPACITY FOR SHOPPING AND DINING.

THOSE PLACES WERE CLOSED OR PATRONS MUCH LESS OUT OF THE FOLKS CONCERNED ABOUT BEING EXPOSED TO COPE, MOVING ON TO SLIDE FIVE.

OKAY.

WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIME COMPARISON.

UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS IN THE BLUE WAS FOURTH QUARTER OF 2019 IN THE YELLOW IS THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2020.

AND FOR THE MOST PART, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN OUR RESPONSE TIME ATTRIBUTED TO, UH, UH, IF YOU LOOK TO SLIDE NUMBER SIX, THE, UH, INCREASES ROUGHLY 20 TO 30 SECONDS ON AVERAGE.

AND THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE, UH, CALL PROCESSING FOR MEDICAL ISSUES WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, SOMEONE WITH FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS. AND THEN THE PROCESS THAT THROUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, SENDING FOLKS, UH, SAFELY WITH THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THE FRONT SIDE, AS THEY, AS THEY GET TOWARDS THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT, WE'VE ALSO HAD IN THIS TIMEFRAME, UH, ISSUES LIKE WITH, UH, THE AIRPORT, UH, OUR, OUR STAFFING, THE, THERE ARE STATIONS NEAR THE AIRPORT THAT ARE TRAINED TO BE OUR FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL, BUT IT'S A VERY SMALL GROUP OF FOLKS.

AND IF WE WERE TO GET A COVID DELEON INTO THAT GROUP AND THEY NEED TO BE QUARANTINE, OUR ABILITY TO STAFF THE AIRPORT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC.

SO WE MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION EARLY ON TO, UH, UM, ISOLATE THAT GROUP.

SO IF YOU WORKED AT THE AIRPORT, YOU WOULD ONLY BE STAFFED BY OTHER FOLKS THAT WORKED AT THE AIRPORT TO MINIMIZE THEIR EXPOSURE TO OTHER STATIONS AND ET CETERA, JUST OUT OF PRECAUTION.

WE ALSO HAD, IT'S NOT LISTED ON HERE, UH, AT A FIRE STATION.

IF DURING THE SHIFT, THEY WENT ON A CALL AND FOUND THEMSELVES, UH, BY EXPOSURE, UH, HIGH RISK TO, UH, TO SOMEONE WITH, UH, UH, ILI SYMPTOMS OR COVID THE NEED TO QUARANTINE THAT GROUP.

SO THAT STATION WITH THEM, YOU PUT OUT A SERVICE, UH, THEY WOULD BE ISOLATED EITHER BY THEIR CHOICE OF GOING HOME OR US FINDING A PLACE FOR THEM TO STAY THE STATION D CONNED AND THEN RESTAFFED AND REOPENED.

SO THERE, THOSE DID HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH ALL OF THESE, UH, THE SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS OF, OF, UH, 20, 19 2020, AND WOULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON RESPONSE TIME, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I HAVE TO RESPOND FROM.

UH, THE CLOSEST STATION THAT WAS STILL AVAILABLE WHILE THAT STATION WAS, UH, BEING DEACON.

AND WE STAFFED, WE WENT ON TO SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN, PLEASE.

WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE ON SLIDE SEVEN AND EIGHT, THOUGH, THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF CALLS WE GOT AS YOU LOOK AT THE COMPARISON OF THE CALL TYPES.

UH, THEY'RE RELATIVELY THE SAME.

THERE'S NOT A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN PERCENTILES FROM, UH, QUARTER 19 FOURTH, QUARTER OF 19 TO THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 20.

SO IF WE CAN LOOK AT SLIDES, NUMBER SEVEN IN SLIDES, NUMBER EIGHT IN COMPARISON THERE, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS ROUGHLY THE SAME PERCENTILES THERE, MOVING ON TO SLIDE NUMBER NINE.

WHAT YOU HAVE IS, IS A WHOLE YEAR OF SPELLED OUT.

YOU'LL SEE GEN GENERALLY ACROSS THE BOARD BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, A GENERAL REDUCTION IN THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, EITHER CODE ONE OR CODE THREE.

AND THAT YOU'LL

[00:50:01]

GENERALLY SPEAKING ACROSS THE BOARD, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE THINGS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, MOVING ON TO SLIDE NUMBER 10.

SO WE'VE HAD AUTO AID FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE PLUS NOW IN TRAVIS COUNTY, THERE'S 13 DIFFERENT, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENTS, IF YOU WILL.

AND THEY ALL ARE DISPATCHED OUT OF THE SAME DISPATCHING CENTER AND THEY HAD AN AUTO AID AGREEMENT AMONGST ALL OF THEM THAT WHENEVER A CALL FOR HELP CAME IN THE CLOSEST UNIT, REGARDLESS OF THE, THE EMBLEM ON THE SIDE OF THE UNIT WOULD RESPOND.

AND IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

IT SERVES THE COMMUNITY VERY WELL TO GET THE CLOSEST UNIT THERE, UH, TO START HELPING SOMEONE, UH, MEDICAL OR FIRE CALL, UH, THE AUTO AID AGREEMENT WAS EXPANDED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019 TO ALSO INCLUDE WILLIAMSON COUNTY, THESE, THE, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT MOTORED ALONG TRAVIS COUNTY.

UH, SO WITH THAT, THE AGREEMENT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT EXISTS.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF COMPONENTS THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON ONE IS THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENT.

UH, OUR DISPATCHING CENTER SPEAKS ONE COMPUTER LANGUAGE, THEIR DISPATCHING CENTER SPEAKS ANOTHER.

AND WHAT YOU NEED IS A TRANSLATING DEVICE THAT ALLOWS THOSE TO COMMUNICATE TO EACH OTHER.

AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IS FOR OTTAWA TO TRULY HAVE A VALUE, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE CLOSEST UNITS ARE.

SO, AND BY GETTING THAT SOFTWARE IN PLACE HELPS US WITH THAT ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO SEND THE CLOSEST UNIT, TO HELP SOMEBODY IN A TIME OF NEED, UH, ALONG THE WAY AS THEY'RE DEVELOPING THIS, THEY HAD IT IN PLACE.

AND ONCE IT GOT, UH, TURNED ON TO, TO RUN SOME TRIALS THROUGH IT, THEY LEARNED THAT THERE WAS SOME AFTERMARKET ADJUSTMENTS DONE, UH, WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UH, CAD SYSTEMS. SO THE SOFTWARE HAD SOME GLITCHES THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO GO BACK AND WORK ON.

THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THIS IS THE, UH, OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE COME FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND WE SHOW UP THAT WE'RE WORKING OFF THE SAME GAME PLAN ON HOW TO ADDRESS, UH, THE, THE CALLS SPECIFICALLY THE FIRE CALLS THAT WE DON'T PUT SOMEONE IN A HARMFUL POSITION WITHOUT FOLKS KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM SO WE CAN PROPERLY SUPPORT THEM.